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Report: First destination after undergraduate degree

Our First Destination Report:

  • We survey new graduates of each academic year who complete undergraduate degrees.
  • We ask first destination after the undergraduate degree, whether:
    - working
    - continuing education
    - military service
    - volunteering
    - seeking.
  • We ask about career preparation and experience during college.
  • The survey opens during the month before commencement and remains open through six months after. Reports are published winter after the survey closes.
feet of graduate wearing rain boots
What's your next step after graduation? We asked. Grads told us.
Graduation year reports: university, colleges, majors
Highlights
About the survey
Methodology
FAQs

Graduation year reports
Include reports for total university, colleges, and majors.

Select a year, then choose report for university, a college, or a major:

All report information is subject to correction and updating.

What if a major is not on the report menu?

Each graduate is counted once, for primary major. A major is on the menu if at least one degree was conferred for the major as primary. In each report, total graduates and total respondents are the first counts shown, so if the major had zero respondents, that is shown.

Report timing:

For graduates of an academic year, reports are compiled after the survey closes. The survey remains continuously open through six months after May commencement. This enables us to publish the report by March of the year following commencement.

You can also read:
About the survey.  |  Methodology.  |  FAQs.

Highlights of university and college data
with selected multi-year data

All highlight information is subject to correction and updating.

First destination survey response rates.
Total university and colleges. Undergraduate degree recipients.

First destination survey response rates |
Undergraduate degree recipients		 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
Total university 55%
N=3789		 31%
N=2113		 64%
N=4737		 56%
N=3968
College of Agriculture & Life Sciences 45%
N=404		 21%
N=154		 59%
N=445		 52%
N=369
College of Architecture & Urban Studies
(new name for this college effective after data years shown)		 48%
N=216		 28%
N=112		 63%
N=274		 53%
N=216
College of Business 63%
N=769		 53%
N=611		 69%
N=921		 62%
N=825
College of Engineering 62%
N=1155		 30%
N=562		 70%
N=1435		 59%
N=1165
College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences 49%
N=583		 23%
N=267		 60%
N=794		 56%
N=631
College of Natural Resources & Environment 63%
N=186		 28%
N=78		 60%
N=178		 54%
N=143
College of Science 50%
N=476		 28%
N=329		 59%
N=690		 51%
N=591
College of Veterinary Medicine NA NA NA 52%
N=28

About response percentages and numbers:

  • Over ten years, total university response has ranged from 55-69% (with exception of 2019-2020 due to COVID-19 impact on 2019-2020 survey timeline and response rate).
  • College population numbers vary greatly. University data are influenced by colleges with larger populations of respondents. For example, in 2020-2021, seven colleges graduated undergraduate students, but 30% of respondents were from the College of Engineering.
  • Major population numbers vary greatly. College data are influenced by majors with larger populations of respondents. For example, 2020-2021 grads represented 13 majors in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, but one major, human nutrition, foods, and exercise (HNFE), comprised 40% of the respondents for that college.
  • In addition to our efforts to encourage new graduates to respond to the survey, advisors, faculty, and staff who work with graduating seniors help to encourage response. Would you like to encourage more of your graduating seniors to respond? The survey opens about one month before commencement and stays open for six months after; you can send your new grads to the survey information throughout that time. But the best windows to get responses are late April to May commencement (for May and summer term grads), and late November to December commencement (for December and winter term grads). You can mark your calendar to remind them, and direct them to the survey information that includes open and close dates based on grad term. Your efforts have value and may make the difference to graduating seniors who know you.

Report for each major and college are in the graduation year reports, above.


First destination of respondents.
Total university. Undergraduate degree recipients.

First destination of respondents |
Undergraduate degree recipients		 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
Response rate 55%
N=3789		 31%
N=2113		 64%
N=4737		 56%
N=3968
Working 60%
N=2261		 64%
N=1352		 50%
N=2349		 57%
N=2276
Continuing education 17%
N=633		 16%
N=343		 19%
N=919		 18%
N=714
Military 3%
N=99		 2%
N=45		 3%
N=147		 2%
N=99
Volunteering 1%
N=33		 1%
N=16		 1%
N=25		 0%
N=14
Seeking work 16%
N=617		 13%
N=282		 21%
N=982		 17%
N=666
Seeking continuing education 3%
N=127		 3%
N=64		 6%
N=293		 5%
N=189
Not seeking 1%
N=19		 1%
N=11		 0%
N=22		 0%
N=10

Grads who reported seeking (work or continuing education) could update their responses any time until the survey closed.

click image to view chart in new window

Report for each major and college are in the graduation year reports, above.

On the graph:

  • Employed includes: working, U.S. military, volunteering.
  • Continuing education response is intended for those admitted.
  • Seeking includes: seeking employment, seeking continuing education, and not seeking.
  • Percentages do not always sum to 100 due to rounding.
2020-2021 bar graph

About first destination variance by colleges

  • Colleges and majors have varied patterns in first destinations of respondents. 
  • Three colleges, Agriculture and Life Sciences, Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and Science, typically have a quarter to a third of respondents indicate continuing education as a first destination after the bachelor's degree.
  • As a college, Business often has the lowest percentage of continuing education, as compared to other colleges. However, a major within that college, accounting, typically has high levels of continuing education.
  • Major and college data are in the graduation year reports, above.

Report for each major and college are in the graduation year reports, above.

About continuing education

  • Respondents who were admitted to continuing education as a first destination after the undergraduate degree were asked to indicate the degree type and program of study they would be pursuing, and the institution they would be attending. 
  • Respondents who wished to continue education, but had not yet been admitted, should have indicated on the survey they were seeking continued education. Those respondents could update their survey response, as long as the survey was open, if they were admitted.

Four year quick facts:

  • 16-19% of respondents said they were admitted to continuing education.
    • 11-14% of respondents said they were admitted to a master's degree program.
    • 5-6% were admitted for other degrees or non-degree programs.
  • 3-6% of respondents said they were seeking admission to continuing education.
  • So 19-25% of respondents are either admitted or wish to be admitted to continuing education, as their first destination after the undergraduate degree.

Total university. Four years.
Continuing education percentages and degree types

Responses about continuing education | after undergraduate degree 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
N respondents admitted to continuing education 633 343 919 714
% respondents admitted to continuing education 17% 16% 19% 18%
% respondents still seeking continuing education 3% 3% 6% 5%
Admitted: degree type master's degree 11% 11% 13% 14%
Admitted: degree type doctoral degree 4% 4% 4% 3%
Admitted: other degree types, or non-degree, or did not provide degree type 2% 1% 1% 2%

By undergraduate college, continuing education and breakdown by degree types

  • View and access reports for most recent four gradution years:
Continuing education by undergraduate college

List of continuing education degrees and institutions, by undergraduate major

Default list for each graduation year is for total university, ordered alpha by undergraduate major of respondents.
You can re-sort by clicking on any heading.
You can opt to view only a specific college or major.

Details on N and percentages continuing education are also in the report for each major and college in the graduation year reports, above.

You can also view continuing education highlights for 2017-2018 grads and 2018-2019 grads.

Employed respondents.

  • Respondents who stated they were working after the undergraduate degree were asked to state their job title, employer organization, and location. 
  • Respondents who wished to be working, but had not yet been offered employment, were prompted to indicate on the survey they were seeking work. Those respondents could update their survey response, as long as the survey was open, if they were offered and accepted employment.
  • 2021-2022 grads: more than half of working respondents gave their work location as in Virginia.

List of employers, job titles, and locations, by undergraduate major

Default list for each graduation year is for total university, ordered alpha by undergraduate major of respondents.
You can re-sort by clicking on any heading.
You can opt to view only a specific college or major.

Employers most cited by employed respondents

  • View list of most-cited employers by employed respondents.
    Some things you can see in that list:
    • List is for most recent report, on 2021-2022 graduates.
    • Number and percent of employed respondents who said they are working for this employer.
    • The first listed employer was reported by 55 grads who comprised 2.44% of employed respondents.
    • Eleven employers were each reported by 20 or more grads.
    • Virginia Tech was reported as the employer by 14 grads, and was tied as 15th most-reported employer.
    • The list includes links to view prior years.
Employers most cited by employed respondents.

For 2021-2022 grads, more than half the working respondents gave their work location as in Virginia.
Chart data below from 2021-2022 grads / entries in employer, job location list.
All percentages rounded except for "no location given."
Locations shown if 20 or more grads reported this location.

Rank N % Location
NA 2,191 100% All
NA 4 0.19% No location given
1 1,129 52% Virginia
2 162 7% North Carolina
3 127 6% District of Columbia
4 105 5% Maryland
5 78 4% New York
6 59 3% California
7 51 2% Texas
8 44 2% Pennsylvania
9 42 2% Georgia
10 35 2% Florida
11 31 1% Colorado
12 30 1% South Carolina
13 tie 26 1% Massachusetts
13 tie 26 1% New Jersey
15 tie 22 1% Tennessee
15 tie 22 1% Wisconsin
17 20 1% Ohio

About salary and bonus data

  • Employed graduates (working and military) were asked to report salary and bonus. NOT all do; over four years, 17-30% of those who stated they were employed did NOT report salary.
  • We report median (mid-point value) and not mean (average) because the median is more reliable.
    Averages are skewed by outliers.
    Medians provide a more realistic picture.
    Particularly with self-reported data, errors and inaccuracies occur, making averages more subject to being skewed.
  • Medians are shown when four or more individuals reported salary or bonus.
  • 25th and 75th percentiles are shown when 12 or more individuals reported salary or bonus.
  • View salary table with data for university, each college, and each major.
  • View bonus table with data for university, each college, and each major.
  • Each of those tables have links to view data for prior years.
  • Salary and bonus data for each college and major are also in the graduation year reports, above.

Total university. Four years.
Salary and bonus data highlights.

  2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
% response 55% 31% 64% 56%
N response 3789 2113 4737 3968
% working 60% 64% 50% 57%
N working 2261 1352 2349 2276
% military 3% 2% 3% 2%
N military 99 45 147 99
% of employed who did NOT report salary 17% 24% 29% 30%
% of employed who DID report salary 83% 76% 71% 70%
N who reported salary 1968 1064 1768 1667
Salary median $61,800 $64,000 $63,000 $66,560
% of employed who received a bonus 31% 30% 23% 27%
N who received a bonus 741 418 564 640
Bonus median $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000
SALARY data for university, colleges, and majors
BONUS data for university, colleges, and majors

Salary and bonus data are also contained in the report for each major and college in the graduation year reports, above.

Quick facts, over four years, employed respondents said:

  • 19-26% cited career fair as first contact with employer. This varies widely by college.
  • 10-12% had first contact by working for their employer in a previous experience.
  • 14-17% met their employer through contacts and networking.
  • 9-12% made contact by going directly to the employer's website.

Employed respondents were asked: 
Regarding the job you accepted: Which best describes the way you first made contact with this employer?
Select one response.

(Please note this question is not asking about all the job search methods used.)

Total university. Four years.
How employed graduates found the job they accepted.

First contact with employer whose job grad accepted 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
Worked / volunteered with employer in the past 10% 10% 12% 11%
Knew or met employer through someone I know / networking 14% 14% 16% 17%
Career fair 26% 26% 22% 19%
Handshake (job posting platform used by Virginia Tech career center for employers to post jobs for VT students) 6% 6% 7% 6%
Employer interviewed in Smith Career Center (On-Campus Interviewing Program) 2% 3% 1% 1%
Went directly to employer's website 9% 9% 10% 12%
Used a job-seeker website other than Handshake 7% 12% 11% 12%
Info posted or messaged from my academic department 2% 2% 4% 4%
Employer spoke at a presentation I attended 1% 2% 2% 1%
Did not answer 21% 15% 14% 18%
Bar chart view of 2019-2020 grads job source data

Report for each major and college are in the graduation year reports, above.

Quick facts, over four years, employed respondents said:

  • 60-62% said their job was very related to their career goals.
  • 56-61% said their job was very related to their major.
  • Only 2-3% said their job was not related to their career goals.
  • Only 5-6% said their job was not related to their major.

Employed respondents were asked:
Do you consider your job to be related to your career goals? 
Do you consider your job to be related to your college major?

Total university. Four years.
Job related to career goals and major.

Job related to career goals 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
Very 60% 60% 62% 62%
Somewhat 18% 24% 23% 21%
Not 2% 3% 3% 2%
Did not answer 19% 13% 12% 15%
Job related to college major 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
Very 58% 56% 61% 58%
Somewhat 18% 26% 21% 22%
Not 5% 5% 6% 5%
Did not answer 19% 13% 12% 15%

Report for each major and college are in the graduation year reports, above.

Quick facts, over four years, respondents said:

Learned skills?
  • 27-29% learned all the job search skills they needed.
  • 42-50% learned some, but not all they needed.
  • 8-10% learned nothing, or very little.
Sources? Grads check all that apply. Main sources were:
  • 34-37% career center resources.
  • 33-39% websites external to VT.
  • 28-33% academic-credit course in major or college.
  • 38-43% advisors, faculty, staff in major or college.
  • 44-48% employers and mentors at jobs and internships.
  • 47-56% parents, adult relatives and family friends.
  • 42-47% peers.
Used career center?
  • 8-12% said yes, often.
  • 46-50% said yes, not often.
  • 13-18% said never.
  • 8-12% were unsure or did not recall.

Grads were asked:
Which best describes the extent to which you learned job search skills during college?

Learned job search skills during college: 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
I learned most that I needed 28% 27% 29% 29%
I learned some, but not all that I needed 46% 42% 50% 47%
I learned nothing, or very little 8% 10% 9% 9%
Did not answer 18% 20% 11% 14%

Grads were asked:
If you learned job search skills, where did you learn them? Check all that apply.

SOURCES OF LEARNING JOB SEARCH SKILLS (check all that apply) 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
Career and Professional Development; advising, presentations, website, etc. 34% 34% 37% 35%
Career Planning Guide; online booklet created by CPD. 13% 12% 9% 7%
Other books, magazines, print materials. 7% 6% 7% 6%
Websites external to Virginia Tech. 36% 33% 39% 37%
Academic-credit course in my major or college. 29% 28% 33% 31%
Not-for-credit program in my major or college. 4% 5% 5% 5%
Advisors, staff, professors in my major or college. 39% 38% 43% 38%
Other VT advisors, staff, professors, NOT in my major or college. 11% 12% 12% 11%
Employers, mentors at jobs, internships. 48% 47% 48% 46%
Parents, adult relatives, family friends. 52% 47% 56% 53%
Peers. 46% 44% 47% 42%
Did not answer 16% 20% 16% 21%

Grads were asked:
As you recall: During college, did you use any resources provided by the Virginia Tech career center? (could include advising, workshops, website, Handshake, employment interviews, etc.)

Used career center during college: 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
Never 16% 13% 18% 16%
Don't recall or unsure 11% 8% 12% 12%
Yes, but not often 48% 46% 50% 48%
Yes, often 8% 12% 10% 9%
Did not answer 16% 20% 10% 15%
Bar graph: learned skills and used career center 2020-2021

Report for each major and college are in the graduation year reports, above.

Total university. Four years.
Career-related experience during college.

Graduates were asked if they had any type of career-related experience during college, and details about the types.

Over four years:

  • The majority, 68-76% said yes, they had career-related experience during college.
  • Only 7-15% said no.
  • 10-22% did not give a response to this question.
Did you have any type of career-related experience during college? 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
Yes 75% 71% 76% 68%
No 10% 7% 14% 15%
Did not answer 16% 22% 10% 17%
(Separate question; in REGRETS below; helpful to see responses with experience responses.)
Grads who wished they had gotten more experience during college		 31% 23% 36% 33%
Bar graph view of table above: experience
What types of experience did you have? Check all that apply. 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
Volunteer work 22% 18% 23% 20%
Part-time job 27% 24% 30% 33%
Summer job 29% 25% 29% 45%
Unpaid internship 14% 11% 14% 15%
Paid internship 56% 58% 53% 47%
Co-op 5% 5% 5% 5%
Undergraduate research 20% 19% 21% 19%
Field study 9% 6% 10% 9%
Did not answer 24% 28% 23% 35%
Bar graph view of table above: types of experience

For 2021-2022 questions were restructured slightly, to learn more.
We asked graduates: Did you have any type of internship during college (including paid, unpaid, or both)? (before asking the count).
53% said yes.
13% said no.
33% stated they prefered not to answer, or they did not answer.

Number of PAID internships during college 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
None -- -- -- 6%
One 24% 25% 23% 24%
Two 18% 20% 15% 14%
Three or more 9% 10% 10% 9%
Not applicable or did not answer 48% 45% 53% 47%
Number of UNPAID internships during college 2018-2018 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
None -- -- -- 38%
One 13% 11% 13% 11%
Two 3% 3% 3% 3%
Three or more 1% 1% 1% 1%
Not applicable or did not answer 83% 86% 83% 47%

Report for each major and college are in the graduation year reports, above.

IF undergraduates did not have an internship during college, what was the reason?

There was not a lone, significant barrier to internships for large percentages of undergraduate students.

  • As shown above, most undergraduates had an internship or other experience during college.
  • Internships are not the only form of career-related experience, but many people focus solely on internships when asking about student experience.
  • For the 2021-2022 grads who stated they did not have an internship, we asked the reasons.
    Respondents could check all that apply.
  • The most-cited reason was applicable to only 10% of respondents for total university:
    "I did not need an internship. I had other forms of experience relevant to my career goals and/or major."
    (See 2021-2022 report; scroll to NO INTERNSHIPS, REASONS.)
  • For total university, other reasons were applicable to 7% or fewer of the graduates.
  • The point? For the total university, there was not a lone, significant barrier to internships for large percentages of undergraduate students.
  • It is worth noting the variance by college, shown in the table below.
    (From 2021-2022 reports for college and majors; scroll donw to NO INTERNSHIPS, REASONS.)
REASON: (respondents could check all that apply) UNIV ALS AAD BUS ENGR LAHS NRE SCI VET
Total respondent N: 3,968 369 216 825 1,165 631 143 591 28
I did not need an internship. I had other forms of experience relevant to my career goals and/or major. 10% 23% 2% 5% 4% 15% 8% 21% 14%
I did not know all the possible sources to find an internship. 7% 8% 4% 4% 5% 8% 3% 14% 4%
I did not have all the job search skills I needed to secure an internship. 6% 4% 5% 5% 6% 5% 4% 11% 11%
I did not have all the qualifications employers required. 7% 5% 5% 4% 8% 6% 6% 12% 11%
Unpaid internships are the norm in my field, and I could not afford to work without pay. 4% 5% 5% 1% 1% 9% 6% 7% 11%
I could not find an internship in the geographic location I wanted. 5% 5% 6% 3% 4% 4% 8% 8% 14%
I could not find an internship with timing that worked for my schedule. 6% 9% 3% 4% 4% 7% 6% 12% 4%
I was offered an internship, but it was cancelled by the employer
(due to economic issues, such as the pandemic, or other causes)		 2% 2% 1% 3% 3% 2% 3% 2% 0%
I was offered an in-person internship at a location to which I could not relocate due to costs. 0% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1% 1% 4%
Did not answer OR question not applicable to these respondents. 73% 61% 85% 83% 81% 69% 78% 52% 68%

Total university. Four years.
Regrets about career preparation during college.

Graduates were asked:
If you could start over in college, is there anything you would do differently related to career planning?

Over four years:

  • 28-40% said no, they mostly did what they needed to achieve their goals.
  • 35-52% said yes, they would do something differently.
  • 10-25% did not give a response to this question.
If you could start over in college, is there anything you would do differently related to career planning? 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
No. Mostly I did what I needed to achieve my goals. 38% 28% 38% 40%
Yes, I would do something differently. 46% 35% 52% 47%
Did not answer. 16% 26% 10% 13%

Graduates were asked:
If yes (I would have done something differently) check all that apply, to "I wish I had..."

I wish I had: (check all that apply) (top regrets in bold) 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
Learned more, or earlier, about career options. 33% 26% 37% 35%
Learned more, or earlier, about graduate or professional school. 18% 14% 21% 18%
Asked advisors, staff, professors for advice, earlier, or more often. 27% 20% 30% 28%
Gotten more experience related to my major or career goals. 31% 23% 36% 33%
Started my job search earlier. 23% 17% 28% 26%
Used more or different job search resources. 14% 12% 17% 16%
(Did not check any regrets) 48% 62% 43% 45%

Report for each major and college are in the graduation year reports, above.